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Style Reigns Supreme on the first day of the World Heli Challenge 2009

Friday 4 September 2009, 2:26PM

By World Heli Challenge

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Wanaka sisters Maria and Janina Kuzma both won Freeride Day in snowboarding and skiing
Wanaka sisters Maria and Janina Kuzma both won Freeride Day in snowboarding and skiing Credit: World Heli Challenge
Tim Dutton from U.S. flying into 2nd place on the freeride Day of the World Heli Challenge being held near Wanaka
Tim Dutton from U.S. flying into 2nd place on the freeride Day of the World Heli Challenge being held near Wanaka Credit: World Heli Challenge
Boen Ferguson from Australia on the Freeride Day of the World Heli Challenge
Boen Ferguson from Australia on the Freeride Day of the World Heli Challenge Credit: World Heli Challenge
Jordan Houghton on the freeride Day of the World Heli Challenge
Jordan Houghton on the freeride Day of the World Heli Challenge Credit: World Heli Challenge
Russ Henshaw from Australia on the Freeride Day of the World Heli Challenge
Russ Henshaw from Australia on the Freeride Day of the World Heli Challenge Credit: World Heli Challenge
Andrea Berchtold front somersaulting on the Freeride Day of the World Heli Challenge
Andrea Berchtold front somersaulting on the Freeride Day of the World Heli Challenge Credit: World Heli Challenge
Andrea Berchtold heading down through the bottom part of course of the Freeride Day of the World Heli Challenge
Andrea Berchtold heading down through the bottom part of course of the Freeride Day of the World Heli Challenge Credit: World Heli Challenge

WANAKA

The weather gods blessed the opening of the 2009 World Heli Challenge. Blue sky's, dry powder snow and 43 of the worlds top skiers and boarders competed in the "Freeride Day , one of three days of heli access competitions held over a two week period. The athletes claimed it as "the most innovative, unique and cutting edge event ever". It was great to see such an inspirational event resurrected after an 8 year hiatus and it assume its position back on the international snow sports calendar.

The standouts included skiers Mike Wilson (U.S.) in 1st, Chris Booth (Australia), Tim Dutton (US) in 2nd and Tim Myer (Australia) 3rd and snowboarders Quentin Robbins (New Zealand), Andy Finch (US) and Matthew Annettes (US).

In the female ski category Janina Kuzma took first with USA's Jackie Passo 2nd and Ingrid Backstrom in 3rd. In the women's snowboard Maria Kuzma (NZ) came in 1st, Amber Schuecker (Australia) in 2nd and Susan Mol (USA) in 3rd.

The "Freeride Day" of the World Challenge is all about finding out who are the best performers of aerial manouvres in the back country environment. The athletes are lifted by helicopter into some of the most granduer landscapes on earth and let loose down the mountain on undulating terrain. Some of the competitors were jumping in excess of 60 ft through the air performing "Misty 720 Flips" (2 rotations with a twist) and there was a stand out double front somersault from Lake Tahoe, California's Mike Wilson.

Today is the "Big Mountain Day" where athletes will put everything on the line to ski and snowboard some of the steepest mountains in NZ. The level of their athletic capacities will be pushed far beyond the realms of any snow resort event and it's this day that truly showcases the "wow" factor of snow sports.

For the latest blog entries, athlete profiles, web movies and photos of daily activities click into www.worldhelichallenge.com